The Russian Championship Superfinal was contested in Moscow in late December. While not quite on a par in status with the legendary championships of the former Soviet Union, the 12-player Superfinal is still the championship of the strongest chess nation on earth.
The 2005 Champion is the 32 year-old grandmaster Sergei Rublevsky, who lead thoughout and finished unbeaten on 7½/11, a point clear of the field. Rublevsky has been among the top Russian players for a number of years and his aggressive style is well suited to tournament play. Second place was shared by the previously unheralded Dmitry Jakovenko and the talented Alexander Morozevich, who came back from losing a game to Jakovenko through oversleeping! Somewhat disappointing was 'Classical World Champion' Vladimir Kramnik's 50% score – failing to boost his claims toward a unification match with the FIDE world champion.
Today's game is the crushing first round win by Rublevsky with White over the experienced Evgeny Bareev.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 Nf6 5.exd5 exd5 6.Bb5+ Bd7 7.Bxd7+ Nbxd7
Black is rid of his light-squared bishop – often awkward in the French Defence. In return he will be saddled with an isolated d-pawn. 8.0-0 Be7 9.Re1 0-0 10.dxc5 Nxc5 11.Nf1 ---
Aiming to attack the d-pawn from e3. 11. --- Re8 12.Be3 b5 13.c3 Qd7 14.Bd4 ---
This unusual blockade by the bishop clears e3 and eyes the d-pawn's defender on f6.
14. --- Rad8 15.Ne3 Nce4 16.Qb3 a6 17.Ne5 Qb7 18.Nd3! ---
With the threat of 19 a4. White's central knights keep Black occupied and unable to secure his position. 18. --- Qc6 19.a4 Nd2 20.Qc2 Nc4 21.axb5 axb5 22.Nf5 Bf8 23.b3 Nb6 24.Ne5 Qe6
White knights have gravitated ominously toward the kingside. Black's last move threatened 25 ... Ne4 to dislodge the Nf5, which White prevents. 25.f3! Ra8 26.Rad1 b4?
Necessary was 26...Nbd7 to protect f6. Now White gives both rooks for the Black queen and a winning attack. 27.Ng4! Qxe1+ 28.Rxe1 Rxe1+ 29.Kf2 Rea1 30.Nfh6+! Kh8
If 30...gxh6 31 Nxf6+ Kh8 32 Qxh7#. 31.Nxf7+ Kg8 32.Nfh6+ Kh8 33.Nxf6 gxf6 34.Qf5 Bg7 35.Nf7+
After 35 ... Kg8 36 Qe6! threatens 'Philidor's Legacy' starting with 37 Nh6++. Mate is not far off e.g: 36 ... h6 37 Nxh6+ Kh7 38 Ng4 bxc3 39 Nxf6+ Kg6 40 Ne4+ Kh7 41 Ng5+ Kh8 42 Qh6+ Kg8 43 Qxg7#
Rublevsky wins Russian Superfinal
Problem: White to play and mate in 3.
The Russian Championship Superfinal was contested in Moscow in late December. While not quite on a par in status with the legendary championships of the former Soviet Union, the 12-player Superfinal is still the championship of the strongest chess nation on earth.
The 2005 Champion is the 32 year-old grandmaster Sergei Rublevsky, who lead thoughout and finished unbeaten on 7½/11, a point clear of the field. Rublevsky has been among the top Russian players for a number of years and his aggressive style is well suited to tournament play. Second place was shared by the previously unheralded Dmitry Jakovenko and the talented Alexander Morozevich, who came back from losing a game to Jakovenko through oversleeping! Somewhat disappointing was 'Classical World Champion' Vladimir Kramnik's 50% score – failing to boost his claims toward a unification match with the FIDE world champion.
Today's game is the crushing first round win by Rublevsky with White over the experienced Evgeny Bareev.
1.e4 e6
2.d4 d5
3.Nd2 c5
4.Ngf3 Nf6
5.exd5 exd5
6.Bb5+ Bd7
7.Bxd7+ Nbxd7
Black is rid of his light-squared bishop – often awkward in the French Defence. In return he will be saddled with an isolated d-pawn.
8.0-0 Be7
9.Re1 0-0
10.dxc5 Nxc5
11.Nf1 ---
Aiming to attack the d-pawn from e3.
11. --- Re8
12.Be3 b5
13.c3 Qd7
14.Bd4 ---
This unusual blockade by the bishop clears e3 and eyes the d-pawn's defender on f6.
14. --- Rad8
15.Ne3 Nce4
16.Qb3 a6
17.Ne5 Qb7
18.Nd3! ---
With the threat of 19 a4. White's central knights keep Black occupied and unable to secure his position.
18. --- Qc6
19.a4 Nd2
20.Qc2 Nc4
21.axb5 axb5
22.Nf5 Bf8
23.b3 Nb6
24.Ne5 Qe6
White knights have gravitated ominously toward the kingside. Black's last move threatened 25 ... Ne4 to dislodge the Nf5, which White prevents.
25.f3! Ra8
26.Rad1 b4?
Necessary was 26...Nbd7 to protect f6. Now White gives both rooks for the Black queen and a winning attack.
27.Ng4! Qxe1+
28.Rxe1 Rxe1+
29.Kf2 Rea1
30.Nfh6+! Kh8
If 30...gxh6 31 Nxf6+ Kh8 32 Qxh7#.
31.Nxf7+ Kg8
32.Nfh6+ Kh8
33.Nxf6 gxf6
34.Qf5 Bg7
35.Nf7+
After 35 ... Kg8 36 Qe6! threatens 'Philidor's Legacy' starting with 37 Nh6++. Mate is not far off e.g: 36 ... h6 37 Nxh6+ Kh7 38 Ng4 bxc3 39 Nxf6+ Kg6 40 Ne4+ Kh7 41 Ng5+ Kh8 42 Qh6+ Kg8 43 Qxg7#
1-0
Solution: 1 Re5+! Qxe5 (fxe5 2 Qe7#) 2 Bxc6+ Kd8 3 Qc7#